Test Kits

[elan]

I purchased the master kit from Hagen and am having problems checking a few of the chemicals.
For one, what kind of light is it best to perform the test? I notice that when i go from my living room into the kitchen, which has florescent lighting, the results of the test change... when i go back to the living room, the result changes back.
Are there any other test kits availabe?
thanks all
elan

 

[jibbittyflibbit]

this site sells salifert test kits.. they are number 1 in most reefer's books..
i recently ordered some from here myself.. i looked around, the pricing is good or cheaper than elsewhere.
regards,
jib

 

[reef fool]

I second the Salifert kits. #1 in my book too. A little bit more $$ than the all in one combo kits, but if your in this hobby, what's a few more dollars for a happy tank?
Frank
BTW, this site has some of the best prices around on Salifert kits.

 

[justinx]

salifert is great for some of the more precise tests such as calcium and alkalinity. However for the basics, fastest or seatest (they are the same thing, just different label) are better in my opinion. Becuase with ammonia and nitrite, a precise value is not needed. If any is there, its bad regardless of what the value is. For all of the basics, pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, i use FasTest. The master kit costs around 50 bucks, which is kinda expensive, but the nice thing is that it includes all of the major kits. Plus, it will last through the cycle, and after that there is not really a need for anything except the nitrates and pH, unless something goes wrong. Then you can just by refills, which are very cheap, usually around 5 bucks a refill.
So after all that long winded crap, buy fastest for the basics becuase they are accurate enough and reliable, cheap becuas you can just buy a refill instead of a whole new kit. with saliferts, when they run out, you might as well toss the whole thing becuase you cant refill them.
But for the more precise things, go with salifert, or lamotte if you can afford them. these are laboratory grade test kits. very reliable, very precise, and of course, very expensive.

 

[reef fool]

Originally posted by JustinX
salifert is great for some of the more precise tests such as calcium and alkalinity. However for the basics, fastest or seatest (they are the same thing, just different label) are better in my opinion. Becuase with ammonia and nitrite, a precise value is not needed. If any is there, its bad regardless of what the value is. For all of the basics, pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, i use FasTest.
But for the more precise things, go with salifert, or lamotte if you can afford them. these are laboratory grade test kits. very reliable, very precise, and of course, very expensive.
I agree, I still use my Aq. Phar. master kit for pH and Ammonia. the salifert pH kit isn't that great for accuracy, but the NO3 test by Salifert is much better IMO than the other and you do need to be more accurate with NO3 than ammonia and nitrite tests.

 

[xrayman]

I just bought the salifert kit for CA and Alk been using them a month love them easy to use and read color change is awesome just my 2 cents.

 

[elan]

great.. thanks!!!
o by the way, anyone know what happend to the dry goods on this site?

 

[dmurphy]

i noticed that too... The link to dry goods on the main page goes directly to the message board... What's up with that ?

 

[elan]

maybe they did some analysis and found delivering dry goods at great prices isnt cost effective. And any site out there can do it........
I have yet to purchase live packages from them (still waiting to cycle completely) but from the posts i have read, they know what they are doing in this department.
but maybe its just a website glitch.......
just like my tank, time will tell...lol

 

[stpabr]

Just hit the dry goods area and recieved a notice that it is close untill April 1st.